Sometimes it is worth it to be cheap. What are some things you absolutely don’t spend money on? You should never spend money on some things, and you should always save your dimes when you purchase them. What are they?
Buy for Cheap
There are some items that are just worth it to get for really cheap, and it’s just not worth spending any money one.
Someone asked, “What is definitely worth cheaping out on?” And here are the top responses. Do you agree?
First Dates
Someone responded, “First dates. Your ability to interact is worth more than how fancy a dinner you can pay for.”
Another added, “Agreed. I like to go for a coffee on a first date, but guy I was going to meet thought I wasn’t “committed” enough. Committed to what?! He wanted to go all out, and I said I’m not comfortable with big, long or fancy dates when I’m meeting them for the first time. So we didn’t meet.”
Caskets
michaeljung via DepositPhotos.com.
One person wrote, “Caskets… The occupant doesn’t give a darn, why should you? Instead use all that money to get a decent catering service for the wake. Aunt Gladys won’t judge you… Not with her maw full of cake.”
The funeral industry very often preys on vulnerable people in a time of grief.
Birthday Decor
One person wrote, “Anything birthday related can be purchased at the dollar store, plates, those infamous beer pong cups, plastic forks, napkins, cards, balloons, etc.”
The Dollar store is a great place to buy stuff so you can have an inexpensive birthday party!
Greeting Cards
“Birthday/graduation/etc. cards. Some of those things are like $5 or more. No one cares about the card. They care about the money. Go to the dollar store, get a cheap one, write a nice note and slip in a $20 and call it a day,” someone wrote.
It’s just a card! Give the receiver the money instead!
Baby Clothes
“Baby clothes, they grow out of them so quickly, and quality isn’t really an issue when they’re that young. The only thing that matters is that it can be put on easily when they’re squirming and taken off quickly when covered in grossness of any variety,” someone wrote.
Baby stuff can be expensive, so besides getting cheap baby stuff, look into getting free baby stuff!
Golf Balls
Someone wrote, “golf balls. Unless you’re really good, it ain’t going to make a darn bit of difference.”
Someone else shared an awesome hack, “My dad is a teacher but works at a golf course during the summer. He puts his waders on once per month and can usually get anywhere between 50 and 100 balls.”
Medications
“Generic Advil,” one person wrote. Another added, “Most generic over-the-counter medications. Tylenol, Advil, cold medicines, etc. They’re all pretty much the same.”
You can save so much money this way. This is one of the best frugal living tips I’ve seen!
HDMI Cords
lcrespi via DepositPhotos.com.
Someone wrote, “I buy mine for $2 at the Dollar store. I get 3 or 4 at a time because my cats like to {play} around behind my TV and end up breaking them. Never had an issue with quality from my $2 HDMI cords. Will never pay full price for one again.
Bottled Water
Someone answered, “Probably bottled water. May vary from location to location. But typically, it’s all the same. Often multiple brands will get water from the same source, meaning there is no difference between a $1 bottle and a $5+ bottle except for the logo.”
Of course, you can just skip the bottled water and use a reusable water bottle and fill it up for almost free!
Cars
“New Cars. If you are not at the point of having ample disposable income, buying a new car is the worst way to spend your money. Buy a 1-yo version of the same car you “must have”, focus on getting the lowest mileage possible, and save thousands per purchase,” one person shared.
A used car is the way to go!
Pregnancy Tests
Someone shared this awesome hack, “Dollar store pregnancy tests.”
They continued, “All they do is track the pregnancy hormone, it’s not complicated. Lots of moms trying to conceive have used both cheap ones and name brand ones only to have both show a positive reading on the same day. Still recommend to buy at least 2 or 3 in case one is a dud but $2 or $3 is still cheaper than the regular $16 name brands. This has become quite popular on the mommy-to-be websites.”
General Ed Class
Scared of those college fees?
“General ed courses. Knock that {stuff} out at community college, then transfer for the last two years.”
I did this, and it was great!
Someone did add a warning, “sometimes colleges don’t accept certain credits from community colleges (because there is no “equivalent,” etc.). Just be careful and check beforehand whether they will accept them before transfering schools.”
Drinking Glasses
One person shared, “Drinking glasses. I am so clumsy I always break them anyways, so Goodwill is my best friend. I’ve broken all the wine glasses we got at our wedding 2 years ago, but at least I have some beautiful ones to replace them for less than 10 bucks.”
Weddings
“Weddings. Seriously, at the end of the day you’re married, and that’s all that matters. Save your money for an awesome honeymoon or something else for the two of you to enjoy,” one person wrote.
Headphones
One person wrote, “I’m not saying expensive headphones are never worth it, but you should just match your needs to the headphones you buy. If you’re listening to MP3s ripped off YouTube you have zero reason to own a pair of top of the line, £400 headphones. You can literally spend a 20th of the price (like with a pair of Sennheiser HD 201’s) and your music will still sound almost exactly the same. All you’re paying for is enhanced playback; if {stuff} goes in, {stuff} comes out. It doesn’t magically improve the quality of whatever’s being played.”
This is a great tip for anyone who has kids- they will break the headphones anyways, so just buy them cheap ones.
Milk
“Milk. There is literally no difference between generic milk and name brand. It’s all cow’s milk from the same dairy cows in your local area. Why people pay $5 for a gallon of milk when the same exact milk is just a foot away for $2.50 with the store brand label,” someone wrote.
Rain Ponchos
Someone wrote, “Rain ponchos. When we go to a theme park, I pack 4 dollar tree ones in my purse. They sell ones there for $10- $15. But trust me you will NEVER use it again, and the cheap ones work just as well.”
Batteries
Someone answered, “You can safely cheap out on battery brands. As long as they’re produced as specified, they should be the exact same. There are differences if they’re alkaline, rechargable, etc. but not if they’re made by Eveready, Duracell, Sony, etc. Just watch out for those wacky chinese brands and you’re good.”
I hope you agree with some of these items that you should ALWAYS cheap out on!
This article was produced and syndicated by A Dime Saved.
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A Dime Saved
Hi! I am a millennial mom with a passion for personal finance. I have always been “into” personal finance but got inspired to start my blog after a period of extended unemployment. That experience really changed the way I viewed my relationship with money and the importance of accessible personal finance education.